


Star Trek: Discovery "Viral"

by m_k



Series: Discovery Remixed [3]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Excalbians, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m_k/pseuds/m_k
Summary: Burnham, Hiroi, Ari, and Teya beam down to investigate Hiroi's home planet Atarashi Kuni, now deserted. They discover that the Solani and the Regents have left behind multiple threats. Teya displays her ingenuity, while Burnham excoriates Hiroi.  (Season 3 Episode 3 alternate story)
Series: Discovery Remixed [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042230





	Star Trek: Discovery "Viral"

# _OPENING_

_INTERIOR. CAPTAIN HIROI’S SLEEPING QUARTERS ON THE LEO._

_The door to Hideki Hiroi’s darkened quarters slides open and we see Michael Burnham outlined by the light of the corridor outside._

BURNHAM ( _Inquiringly_ ) Hiroi?

_She pauses a second, then enters, peering around in the darkness._

BURNHAM ( _Quietly_ ) Hiroi?

_She settles next to Hiroi’s bed, where a tangled mess of bed covers hides what might be a sleeping Hiroi._

BURNHAM Hiroi? You asleep?

_When Hiroi neither stirs nor responds, Burnham shoves the dead weight under the blankets a couple of times._

BURNHAM ( _More forcefully_ ) Hiroi?

HIROI ( _Wearily, from under the covers_ ) What do you want, Michael?

BURNHAM Hadn’t seen you for a couple of days. ( _Forces a chuckle_ ) Wanted to make sure you were still alive. ( _Awkward silence_ ) Kind of hard to talk to you when you’re hiding under the covers.

_Hiroi sits up and repositions himself, sitting on the side of the bed. Burnham stands and sits herself in his desk chair. In the window behind her, stars can be seen racing by at warp speed. Hiroi looks at Bunham sternly._

BURNHAM Lights on.

_The lights come up._

HIROI ( _Winces_ ) Lights off.

_The lights diminish._

BURNHAM ( _Confrontationally_ ) Lights on.

_The lights come up._

BURNHAM So, *this* is what I wanted to talk to you about. We’re not a team. We’re not even a crew. We’re just four people whizzing through interstellar space, without any purpose, when a noble purpose is staring us in the face.

_She waits for Hiroi to react, but he says nothing._

BURNHAM …Well?

HIROI Four people? Ari isn’t a person, she’s the avatar of this starship. And, Teya…it’s probably more accurate to say that she is an intelligent form of igneous rock. And while you and I are both human, ( _Mock cheer…_ ) yay!, there is absolutely no reason we have to act in tandem, as part of a crew.

BURNHAM ( _Uncomfortably_ ) I realize it’s your ship, but—

HIROI ( _Interrupting_ ) When we arrive at Atarashi Kuni, I will look around for an abandoned ship that can be made serviceable. That way, you and Teya can go your way ( _Makes an unruly zig zag motion with his one hand_ ), and I can go my way ( _Makes a smooth jetting motion with his other hand_ ).

BURNHAM ( _Hurt_ ) Is that really how you feel?

HIROI ( _beat_ ) I’m not a fighter, and I’m not a team player. Running and hiding is what I’m good at. That’s how you stay alive in this universe. You just haven’t figured that out yet, but you will, if you don’t die first.

ARI ( _Interrupting_ ) Hope I’m not interrupting.

_Hiroi and Burnham are both distracted by Ari’s voice. The door remains open, and she is standing there, framed by the doorway._

HIROI Ari, what’s up?

ARI Atarashi Kuni is up.

_She gestures at the window by Burnham. The ship has dropped out of warp, and a vaguely Earth-like planet is rotating below._

ARI ( _Excited, to Hiroi_ ) We’re here. You’re home.

_Burnham turns and looks at Hiroi questioningly._

_# OPENING TITLES._

_# ACT I_

_EXTERIOR. STREET LEVEL IN A FUTURISTIC CITY, DAY._

_Hiroi, Burnham, Ari, and Teya (all dressed warmly) materialize on the surface of planet Atarashi Kuni. The surrounding architecture is brutal. There are no birds, and any vegetation is overgrown. The wind blows, but there is no other sound or movement. The city is dead. They stand for a while, looking around, almost afraid to move._

BURNHAM ( _Voiceover_ ) Personal log. We are beaming down to investigate planet Atarashi Kuni. This is where Hideki Hiroi’s family lived, until contact with them was lost. Perhaps…this will bring Hiroi some closure.

TEYA ( _Disconcerted_ ) It’s so quiet. ( _Frowns_ ) So still.

_Ari scans the area with a small, black rod-like tricorder._

ARI This agrees with the scans I took from orbit. ( _Less forcefully)_ No life.

_All three women examine Hiroi, who is staring into the distance._

HIROI ( _Pointing at a building_ ) That’s where I went to school. ( _Turns and points in another direction_ ) And over there is where I grew up.

_Hiroi begins walking in that direction. Ari, Burnham, and Teya follow behind him._

_FADE TO:_

_INTERIOR. HIROI’S FAMILY’S APARTMENT—DAY._

_Hiroi, followed by Ari, Teya, and Burnham, enters an abandoned apartment through the open door. Diffuse daylight from the large windows lights up the room. It is futuristic and sparse, but also dusty and disordered. Many items are overturned. There is no power to anything._

HIROI _(Looking around)_ My folks’ place.

_Hiroi wanders around slowly, as do the others. But then he stops and closes his eyes tightly, and his face twists in sadness. Ari notices this and places a hand on his shoulder._

_Burnham and Teya stand near the windows and look searchingly at the silent and still city._

TEYA Half the city is rubble. Blasted from orbit, probably.

BURNHAM ( _Gravely_ ) What happened to all the people?

_Hiroi regains his composure._

HIROI ( _To Ari_ ) Can we see if there are any messages?

_Ari looks around and sees a console (an oval view screen above a desk) and tries to activate it with a touch of the display._

ARI It’s dead. ( _She quickly restates_ ) It has no power. ( _Considering the wand-like tricorder in her hand_ ) I wonder…if I can reverse charge it using the tricorder’s power cell.

_Burnham is still gazing out the large window; Teya is watching Hiroi and Ari interact behind them._

BURNHAM ( _Gasps_ ) I saw something move out there.

_Teya turns to look out the window and watches carefully._

TEYA ( _Laughs reassuringly_ ) I’m sure it was the wind, Michael. What else could it be?

_Teya watches Michael remove a phaser pistol from her belt and change the setting._

TEYA What are you doing?

BURNHAM Setting this phaser pistol to kill.

_Burnham notices that Teya has no separate weapon._

BURNHAM Without the Haldeman to power your hand weapon, don’t you need one of these too?

TEYA ( _Raising up her right hand and wiggling her fingers to indicate her built-in weapon_ ) Ari will let me leach power from her energy cell if I need to use my hand weapon. At least, she said she would.

_Burnham returns her attention to the window._

_At the console, Ari is frustrated that the desk computer is not starting up._

ARI ( _Growls unhappily_ ) I don’t understand. The console has power. Why isn’t it starting up? ( _She peers under the desk_ ) It has a subspace link. Maybe I can restart it directly.

_Ari places the fingertips of her left hand on the display and hovers her right palm over the desk. As the console comes to life, the edge of the desk glows dully and the display shows a stringy, organic looking graphical user interface._

ARI ( _Delighted_ ) Ah! Huh.

_Ari presses controls on the display and scans the result._

ARI ( _To Hiroi_ ) There’s no message left *specifically* for you…

HIROI Well, full disclosure, I didn’t leave on the best of terms.

ARI …however, I can access the last several journal entries of Midori Hiroi.

HIROI That’s my sister! ( _Hesitatingly_ ) Can we see them?

ARI ( _Gently_ ) That’s up to you.

_Teya and Burnham join the other two at the console._

_HIROI nods to Ari, and she starts the playback via the console._

_On the display is a teenage female, with green skin, eyes with irises radiating yellow to green, hair with green roots, shading into yellow, dressed informally. She is sitting at the same console desk, but the room is clean and tidy in the daylight._

TEYA ( _Regarding the display_ ) She’s cute.

BURNHAM ( _To Hiroi_ ) That’s your sister?

HIROI ( _To Burnham_ ) You’re not the only one from a mixed family.

Midori ( _Onscreen_ ) Midori’s Diary. School was cancelled again today. We hid in the transport tunnels because they are safe and shielded. The invaders attacked the spaceport. Suzy’s mother says that Federation Defense Force is supposed to arrive soon to help us. ( _beat_ ) I just want this to be over.

_The next entry plays. Midori is wearing pajamas. Her hair is down. It is nighttime._

MIDORI ( _Onscreen_ ) Midori’s Diary. I need to hurry to record this, because the power keeps going out. We can’t make food anymore with the replicators. The next door neighbors are sharing their food with us. The neighbors on the other side have a bunch of food, but they’re not sharing. Dad says they’ll feel guilty when this is all over, or else they’ll just end up as hungry as everyone else. School was cancelled for the rest of the year. ( _beat_ ) I never thought I’d feel sad about that.

_The next entry plays. Midori is wearing a jacket. Her hair is pulled back. She has been crying, and appears in shock._

MIDORI ( _Onscreen, holding back tears_ ) Mom and Dad died. They were looking for people downtown in the debris. And the invaders…. ( _Long pause, while she looks down_ ) The neighbors are looking after me. Suzy’s mother says the Federation…isn’t coming to help us. ( _Pause_ ) There’s no water. We can’t even rehydrate the e-meals. Everything has come to a stop.

_Sirens can be heard in the background; Midori glances askew and cuts off the entry._

_The next entry plays. It’s day. The apartment is a mess. Midori has her backpack on her lap and her jacket on._

MIDORI ( _Onscreen; dirty, ragged, but hopeful_ ) Midori’s Diary. I’m probably going to run out the battery on this console. The Solani say we have to leave this world, but they won’t say where they are going to take us. They say that if we stay here, we will die, because they are going to irradiate the whole planet. Some people say that they’re just going to dump us in space. I don’t know, maybe they are. But what I wanted to say is: Goodbye Atarashi Kuni, world of my birth. Goodbye Mother and Father, thank you for your love. ( _Weakly_ ) That’s all.

_The display returns to the user interface._

TEYA ( _Obtusely_ ) She didn’t mentio—

_Burnham shoots Teya a look of intense disapproval and Teya’s sentence trails off while she studies the ground. Ari picks up the tricorder from the desk and the console display goes dead._

_HIROI isn’t moving, just staring at the blank console._

ARI ( _Probingly, to Hiroi)_ Hey….

_Ari tries to look him in the face, and grabs his hand in hers._

ARI ( _To Hiroi_ ) Hey?

HIROI ( _Flatly_ ) I’m fine. ( _Turns to look at her_ ) Let’s get out of here.

_Ari nods, then grimaces and yelps, closing her eyes._

ARI ( _In pain, pressing her temples with her palms_ ) Oh!

HIROI and BURNHAM ( _In unison_ ) What’s wrong?

ARI Intense…headache! Must have been…the subspace link.

HIROI Are you going to be all right?

_Ari, an AI powered forced-matter projection, appears momentarily to visually glitch, like compressed waves are passing through her body. Then she stiffly falls backward, apparently unconscious._

HIROI ( _Catching her in mid-fall_ ) Oh my gosh!

 _Hiroi lowers Ari gently to the floor, with great difficulty_.

HIROI ( _To the others, justifying his effort_ ) She’s heavier than she looks.

TEYA ( _Mystified_ ) How can she be unconscious? Isn’t she just a projection of the Leo’s computer?

BURNHAM ( _To Teya_ ) We know that Ari can operate independently from the ship. ( _To Hiroi_ ) Try to contact Ari on the Leo. We need to beam up right now.

HIROI ( _Confused, pointing to the prone Ari_ ) But, Ari’s the one who beams us up.

BURNHAM Isn’t it possible she’s still functioning on the ship?

HIROI ( _Confused_ ) I don’t know. ( _Pressing his left wrist to activaate his built-in communicator_ ) Ari, are you there? This is Captain Hiroi calling the Leo…respond please.

_He shakes his head; no response._

TEYA ( _Anxious_ ) Has she ever done this before?

HIROI Not when she wan’t play acting.

TEYA ( _Confused_ ) What does that mean?

_Ari sits up suddenly, blank faced, eyes open. She looks at Teya, then Hiroi, then Burnham, each in turn, rather unsteadily. Ari violently reaches for Burnham, who leans back quickly to avoid her grasp. Ari stands quickly and unsteadily. Burnham, Teya, and Hiroi are now on their feet too, not sure how to respond._

_Ari stands, feet far apart, both hands facing her, open yet trying to clench. Her expression is twisted with pain. It’s like she is having a seizure._

_Burnham steps closer and attempts to calm Ari._

BURNHAM ( _Skittishly_ ) Ari…tell us what we can do to help you.

_Ari grabs the phaser pistol from Burnham’s belt and aims it at Burnham._

BURNHAM ( _Frightened_ ) That’s set to kill…

_Ari’s expression is now cold. She is no longer in control of her actions._

_# ACT II_

_Ari has the phaser pistol trained at Burnham’s head. Teya and Hiroi are frozen, trying to devise some plan of action._

_Teya, from behind, lunges for Ari’s gun arm and tilts it up just as Ari fires. The phaser blast lights up the room and debris falls from above. Burnham and Hiroi glance horrified at the ceiling, then at the struggle between Ari and Teya. Teya has Ari in a neck lock and holds Ari’s gun arm up. They twist, groaning with effort. Burnham and Hiroi want to help, but can’t figure out how without making things worse. The phaser fires again as a result of the struggle. Again, the room lights up and debris and sparks fall from above._

_Ari is gaining the upper hand, slowly forcing the phaser pistol’s aim toward Hiroi and Burnham._

TEYA ( _To Burnham and Hiroi_ ) Get out of here! Run!

_Burnham and Hiroi scramble from the apartment._

_CUT TO:_

_EXTERIOR. STREET LEVEL IN THE CITY, DAY._

_Burnham and Hiroi stop running for a moment on a pedestrian street._

Burnham _(Breathing rapidly)_ What the hell do we do?

Hiroi ( _Breathing rapidly, pointing behind them_ ) Oh no!

_Ari has emerged from the ground floor of the apartment building and is walking determinedly toward them, phaser pistol in hand. She stops, about 10 meters from the building or so, looks upward into the sky, and points at the building. The building violently shakes and flames and debris spill out of the windows._

HIROI ( _To Burnham_ ) She’s using the phaser cannons on the Leo to target us from orbit!

_A glowing humanoid shape stumbles from the heavily damaged building: Teya in her natural form, as a Excalbian, which she reverts to when under intense physical stress. The glow from her body illuminates the shadowed side of the building._

_Ari turns back to eye Burnham and Hiroi._

BURNHAM ( _Grabs at Hiroi_ ) Come on!

_Hiroi and Burnham run a short distance to the entrance to the underground transporter station that Midori Hiroi mentioned in her diary. The ornate entrance looks like the famous art nouveau Paris Metro entrance—an intentional architectural call back. Hiroi and Burnham run down the stairs._

_Ari begins walk that way, gun in hand, a cold expression on her face._

TEYA ( _Voice shouting from behind Ari_ ) Hey, over here!

_Ari glances back, then turns fully around and peers this way and that. Teya is no longer visible, either in her human guise or as an Excalbian. There is simply the burning wreck of the apartment building and lots of flaming debris. She has camouflaged herself somehow._

_Ari’s eyes narrow. She turns back again to look at the underground transit entrance._

_INTERIOR. THE UNDERGROUND TRANSIT STATION._

_The impressively large underground transport station is brightly lit. Burnham and Hiroi stop for a moment to look around for a place to hide._

HIROI At least it’s not pitch black down here.

BURNHAM Probably solar powered. ( _Snapping her fingers and pointing_ ) This way.

_INTERIOR. THE TRANSIT STATION: CORRIDOR AND SECURITY OFFICE._

_Burnham and Hiroi proceed along a large bright corridor, looking back concernedly. Signs on the corridor wall say: [ Transport Area 1 ] with arrows pointing back the way they came. They come upon an opening in the corridor labeled [ Security ]._

BURNHAM ( _Pointing to the Security Office_ ) Let’s try this.

HIROI ( _Grabs her arm, whispering_ ) I keep hearing something. Like a scurrying.

BURNHAM ( _Looks at him_ ) Me too. Come on.

_Burnham and Hiroi enter the open Security Office and pass by tall desks meant for the public, all empty now. Set in the back wall of the office is a large, intricate, and very thick metallic door to a vault, currently swung open. Burnham points it out to Hiroi._

BURNHAM If we have to, we can hide in here.

HIROI ( _Unhappy_ ) Why?

BURNHAM The walls of the vault are made of stasi-carb. It’s resistant to phaser blasts and blocks transporter traffic. It should lock if we shut ourselves in.

HIROI ( _Even more unhappy_ ) And how are we supposed to get out? ( _Confesses_ ) I’m not good with confined spaces.

BURNHAM ( _Incredulous_ ) You live on a spaceship!

_A bizarre clacking sound catches their attention. Staring at them from the corridor is a large spider-like beast, the size of a large dog and black as carbon. It’s alternating its feet playfully._

BURNHAM ( _Whispering_ ) Get in the vault.

_Both Burnham and Hiroi back carefully into the vault._

_The spider-like robot transforms so that a large energy weapon swings above it and aims at them. They desperately swing the door of the vault closed as a high-pitched shriek sounds and a bluish beam, focused and bright like an arc-torch, scorches the vault’s outer door. The locks click loudly and the door seals._

_INTERIOR. WITHIN THE TRANSIT STATION VAULT._

_Inside the dimly lit vault, Hiroi and Burnham glance around._

HIROI ( _Frustrated_ ) Where did that thing come from?

BURNHAM ( _Considering_ ) Must have been left behind by the Solani. Like a guard dog. Or a guard spider, I guess. ( _Looks at Hiroi_ ) Confession: I’m not a big fan of spiders.

HIROI ( _Hopelessly_ ) Explain to me how we get out of here.

BURNHAM ( _Evenly_ ) We rely on the “rock monster” to get us out.

HIROI ( _Fearful_ ) We have to rely on Teya?

_The powerful weapon of the spider sentry can be heard blasting the door of the vault again and again. They flinch with each piercing blast._

BURNHAM ( _Defensively_ ) Yeah, that’s right, Teya. I know you can’t stand her but she’s our only hope right now.

HIROI Oh god.

BURNHAM ( _Angrily_ ) You got a better plan?

_INTERIOR. THE UNDERGROUND TRANSIT SECURITY OFFICE._

_In front of the sealed vault door, the large and vicious looking spider robot is pacing back and forth, its large weapon swinging this way and that._

_As the camera pulls back, we see Ari retreating quietly from peering around the entryway at the spider robot. She thinks, glances in the direction of the vault, then creeps silently away, not willing to tangle with the hostile robot for now._

_INTERIOR. WITHIN THE TRANSIT STATION VAULT._

_Burnham and Hiroi are still arguing._

HIROI But what if Teya gets killed? Who’s going to open the vault then?

BURNHAM Well, there’s no guarantee Teya can open the vault even if she doesn’t get killed, either by insane Ari or by that spider dog out there.

_HIROI, defeated, dejectedly sits down on a ledge, before a wall of empty storage spaces and drawers._

BURNHAM ( _Looking across at him for a moment_ ) I’m sorry, Hiroi.

HIROI I’ve been running and hiding for 5 years. Even if you had stayed in your time, I’d still be running and hiding here.

BURNHAM ( _beat_ ) I mean, I’m sorry about your family.

_Hiroi says nothing, not even acknowledging her. He appears to be thinking deeply about something, brows furrowed._

HIROI ( _Contemplatively_ ) My family. I think…Ari…is my family. ( _beat_ ) Burnham, do you think Ari can be…saved?

BURNHAM I don’t know. She must have been attacked by a sentient virus when she linked with the console. It probably came from the planetary network, most likely installed by the Regents’ agents.

HIROI ( _Pensively_ ) Michael?

BURNHAM ( _beat_ ) Hideki?

HIROI Remember what you said about Ari, how you thought she really cared for me?

BURNHAM Yeah.

HIROI Do you think that’s true? That a computer avatar, a…forced matter projection of an AI system…can care for a living being?

_Burnham sits down beside Hiroi on the ledge._

BURNHAM Well, what does it really mean when one *human* cares for another? I think it’s about more than Venn diagrams, and who’s in your circle. People routinely sacrifice their lives for strangers…because they care about them as people.

HIROI Ari is a machine.

BURNHAM Hiroi, my Vulcan father married my human mother, and I know for a fact that that man, who claimed to have no emotions whatsoever, and for whom logic was the highest and, often, the only principle that mattered, I know for a fact that he loved her. He used to say, “I married her because it seemed like the logical thing to do.” But I *know* he loved her.

HIROI ( _Glancing at Burnham_ ) Funny, you don’t look Solani.

BURNHAM. I was adopted. And that is beside the point. The point is, Ari is a warm and vibrant woman. Whether that woman springs from computer memory engrams or from a natural humanoid mind doesn’t matter. I mean, if a being of total logic can love, then why can’t a being who obviously feels as much and as deeply as Ari does?

_Hiroi sighs._

HIROI ( _Looking around_ ) I’m thirsty. What are the odds that there is something to drink in here?

BURNHAM Pretty slim.

_EXTERIOR. STREET LEVEL IN THE CITY, DAY._

_Among the large chunks of smoldering debris lying on the ground before the destroyed apartment building is one slab of wall that starts to glow. It becomes white hot, then flows inward and changes shape to that of a humanoid. The white hot humanoid shape stands and cools from white to yellow to orange to red in the space of a second…until Teya’s form emerges, dressed in her futuristic Federation uniform._

_She looks around, groans and tries to stretch her limbs, in obvious discomfort._

TEYA Ouch!

_Thoughtfully, she holds out her right palm and tries to fire her hand weapon. Nothing happens._

TEYA ( _Sarcastically_ ) Of course.

_Again, she looks around, uncertainty on her face._

TEYA _(To herself)_ Get it together woman. You’re a Federation-trained programmer and engineer. If there is anyone qualified to stop this thing, it’s you. ( _Makes a fist_ ) You can do this! ( _Less certainly_ ) As soon as you stop talking to yourself.

_Teya runs off determinedly._

_INTERIOR. WITHIN THE TRANSIT STATION VAULT._

_Burnham and Hiroi are kneeling, riffling through and examining items left in the vault. Empty containers, lots of clothes, school tablets._

BURNHAM ( _Sadly_ ) It looks like people were living in here. Hiding from the Solani. My guess is they weren’t allowed to take these things with them when they were forced to leave.

_Burnham holds a well-loved teddy bear in her hands. She sighs very heavily, deflated._

HIROI ( _Looking up and thinking_ ) How long is the air going to last in here?

BURNHAM ( _Distractedly_ ) I give us two days. I expect the CO2 will get us before dehydration does. That’s assuming I don’t kill you first.

HIROI ( _Offended_ ) What? What did I do?

BURNHAM It’s what you don’t do.

_She tosses the worn teddy bear at Hiroi, who catches it._

HIROI ( _Looks at teddy bear, then at Burnham_ ) When are you going to wake up to the fact that this is the way the future has already played out! Your beloved Federation had their ass kicked. And there is nothing you can do to change that. It’s game over as far as the Federation is concerned.

_Hiroi stands angrily; so does Burnham. They face each other._

HIROI ( _Forcefully_ ) The only reason I’m still alive is that I—

BURNHAM ( _Overlapping_ ) Yeah?

HIROI —I hid. I was hiding. I didn’t fight.

BURNHAM You had a starship and you did nothing? You didn’t even try to make a difference.

_Burnham grabs the stuffed animal from Hiroi and shows it to him pointedly._

BURNHAM You didn’t help anyone! Except yourself! You’re useless. You don’t deserve Ari or the Leo.

_They both fall silent for a moment._

BURNHAM How is it you even have a starship? Based on the apartment, it sure doesn’t seem like your folks could afford it.

HIROI The truth is, I stole it. I stole the Leo. And that’s why I was hiding. If I had even shown up to fight, they would have thrown me in jail.

BURNHAM ( _Trying to comprehend this_ ) Does Ari know that the Leo doesn’t even belong to you?

HIROI Neither one of us…has ever brought it up.

_Hiroi glances at Burnham rather ashamedly._

_INTERIOR. THE TRANSIT STATION: CORRIDOR AND SECURITY OFFICE._

_We hear pulsing, martial music, something like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring at the 3:18 mark._

_Evil Ari is striding purposefully down the corridor, past the [ Transport Area 1 ] signage, cradling in her arms a very large phaser rifle. She is wearing a portable shield generator, a belt with cylindrical emitters at regular intervals. She reaches down and activates the belt. A force field forms around her like an iridescent bubble. She loudly taps the barrel of the rifle on the floor several times, to draw the attention of the mechanical spider._

_The music trails off._

_The large and threatening looking spider sentry scurries from the Security Office into the corridor, its weapon at ready._

_Medium shot: Ari is facing the spider, her weapon pointed at it, coldly waiting._

_Medium shot: The spider is fidgeting, moving back and forth, tapping its feet as though calculating its odds._

_Closeup: Ari tilts her head, narrows her eyes._

_Closeup: The spider doesn’t have a face, but we see its gun moving slightly, its sensors concentrating on Ari in a strangely organic way. It stops fidgeting._

_Medium shot: Ari starts firing her weapon, marching toward the camera, the energy bolts racing past and loud blasts heard. We see the shield around her flaring as it takes impacts from the spider’s weapon._

_Medium shot: The mechanical sentry is also marching forward toward Ari, its weapon blazing, various legs being sheared off by Ari’s phaser. Sparks emerge from its body._

_Closer shot: Ari is closing in, still firing. A large blast is heard and mechanical parts and spidery legs go flying past her. The spider is dead._

_Medium shot: She approaches the smoldering remains of the spider, turns off her shield generator, kicks the mechanical carcass aside, then proceeds into the Security Office._

_INTERIOR. THE UNDERGROUND TRANSIT SECURITY OFFICE._

_Evil Ari approaches the sealed vault door, still blackened from the robot’s unsuccessful attempt to burn its way in._

_The keypad used to open the vault lights up. Ari calculates the most likely passcode (the base of natural logarithms) and inputs it. The keypad makes a “zzt zzt” sound, indicating the combination was incorrect._

_Evil Ari appears to be calculating another passcode, when her face twists in pain and she grabs her head between her hands. She groans, collapsing before the vault door and writhing in pain._

ARI ( _Breathlessly_ ) Hideki! Hideki!

_Ari seems to tense, then opens her eyes emotionlessly and stands. The virus is in control again. Evil Ari tilts her head, looks at the safe keypad, then walks away and exits the Security Office._

_INTERIOR. WITHIN THE TRANSIT STATION VAULT._

_Burnham and Hiroi are sitting still, side by side, trying to conserve air._

BURNHAM I don’t know if I should mention this…

HIROI Well, now you have to.

BURNHAM I realized, when I said “two days” before the CO2 got us, I only did the math for one person. And there’s two of us.

_Hiroi double face palms._

BURNHAM You know, Teya is an engineer. And she’s strong and she’s smart. She’ll get us out of here.

HIROI Michael, those things you said before…

BURNHAM Yeah?

HIROI …were hurtful.

BURNHAM ( _Amazed by Hiroi’s lack of self awareness_ ) I meant every word that I said.

HIROI ( _Defensively_ ) You know, we found Teya on a destroyed Federation ship, stored as a transporter pattern. Maybe *she* was hiding. Maybe *she’s* a coward.

BURNHAM ( _Shaking her head disbelievingly_ ) Trust me, Hiroi. You’re the only coward here.

_Hiroi has no response._

TEYA ( _Voice over comm_ ) Hi guys.

_Burnham grabs Hiroi’s left wrist and presses to activate the comm link on his built-in communicator._

BURNHAM Teya! We’re locked inside a vault in the Security Office of the Transport Station. How are we even communicating?

TEYA ( _Over comm_ ) Yeah, I know where you are. I’m using the Station’s electrical system as an analogue antenna. I doubt “Evil Ari” can hear us. Listen, I have a question for Hiroi.

HIROI Ye—Yeah?

TEYA ( _Over comm_ ) How close does Ari have to be to the Leo before they operate jointly instead of separately?

HIROI A fraction of a light second. Any farther and their thought processes start to separate into different threads.

TEYA ( _Over comm_ ) So, pretty close.

HIROI Yeah.

TEYA ( _Over comm_ ) Another question. Has Ari ever restarted because of a problem? And if so, how long did it take.

HIROI ( _Thinking_ ) Maybe five minutes, including diagnostic scans of all the systems.

TEYA ( _Over comm_ ) Listen, the solar powered battery that the Transit Station runs on is high capacity, and it’s fully charged. I may have to drain it really quickly, so don’t be surprised.

BURNHAM Understood.

TEYA ( _Playfully_ ) Hey, are you two bonding in there?

_Hiroi and Burnham exchange looks of mutual disdain._

BURNHAM ( _Sarcastically_ ) Best friends forever.

TEYA ( _Laughing_ ) Oh Michael, good one. I’ll see you guys soon.

_A two-tone beep indicates the comm link is closed._

BURNHAM ( _To Hiroi_ ) The cavalry.

HIROI ( _Looking down_ ) You were right about her. About Teya.

BURNHAM ( _Glances at Hiroi, then looks up_ ) Good luck, Teya.

_# ACT III_

_INTERIOR. INSIDE A PLANETARY DEFENSE PHASER TURRET._

_Teya is sitting at a powered up console inside a dark, small round chamber. Daylight spills in around long narrow openings. She finishes pressing controls and looks satisfied, smiling._

TEYA ( _To self_ ) One planetary defense phaser turret…operational.

_EXTERIOR. STREET LEVEL IN A FUTURISTIC CITY, DAY._

_Wide shot: Teya is ambling along an open space, perhaps a bit too confident. We see buildings and two large white phaser turrets just in the background._

_Medium shot: Teya continues walking, talking to herself silently. She looks up and the smile fades instantly._

TEYA Oh no!

_Medium shot: Evil Ari is standing confidently, holding the phaser rifle in both hands._

_Close up: Teya watches Ari with concern._

_Wide shot: We see both Ari and Teya from the side, standing and facing each other._

TEYA ( _Shouting_ ) Ari! Fight it! We need you, Ari!

_Evil Ari quickly raises the rifle and aims at Teya._

TEYA ( _Shouting and flinching_ ) No!

_Teya is hit by the continuous stream of lethal energy. She glows yellow then white hot. The beam continues, the sound of phaser fire filling the air, for about five seconds._

_After the beam ceases, the large, vaguely humanoid shape glows brilliant white, then quickly cools through yellow, orange, and red, then returns to Teya as she was before being hit by the weapon’s fire._

TEYA ( _Overconfident_ ) Oh, I guess you forgot that I’m an Excalbian! You’re gonna need a bigger weapon, honey!

_Ari is still standing, rifle in hand. From behind her, we see the Leo cut through the sky, swelling in the space of a second, filling the air with a sound like jet engines whining. It stops, hovering above Ari. Her hair swirls in the resulting blast of air, and dead leaves and a cloud of dust are raised._

TEYA ( _Wide eyed, to self_ ) That’s a bigger weapon.

_Teya grabs her left wrist and activates her comm link. We hear the sound of a large servo motor as one of the giant phaser turret swivels to aim at the Leo._

_Ari only has time to turn her head to see what is happening before the turret fires something that looks like a lightning bolt at the Leo. The Leo is engulfed in a ball of lightning and begins to drift sideways. At the same time, Evil Ari collapses in a heap, unconscious._

TEYA ( _Proudly_ ) Damn, I’m good!

_INTERIOR. THE UNDERGROUND TRANSIT SECURITY OFFICE._

_Ari lies on the floor, while Teya inputs the passcode to the vault’s panel, cribbing from a small piece of paper in her other hand. The panel beeps happily and the door swings open._

_Burnham and Hiroi stumble stiffly from inside the vault, while Teya drags the unconscious Ari into the vault._

TEYA ( _Out of breath_ ) Got to hurry, only have seconds. She really is heavy.

_With unconscious Ari in the vault, Teya closes the vault door and locks it. She throws her head back, winded._

BURNHAM ( _To Teya_ ) You did it!

TEYA She can’t communicate with the Leo from inside there. By the time the Leo comes online, the virus will be purged from the ship. But not from her.

BURNHAM How did you figure out the passcode to open the vault?

_Teya holds up the piece of paper with the code written on it._

TEYA Oh, you mean this? I found it in the office supervisor’s desk drawer. ( _Sarcastically_ ) I’m surprised it wasn’t taped above his desk.

_Hiroi takes the piece of paper with the passcode on it._

HIROI ( _Upset_ ) We can’t just leave her in there.

TEYA Hiroi, That is not Ari in there. That’s…that’s a murderbot.

BURNHAM ( _Concerned_ ) Teya, there was some kind of robot sentry out here. It looked like a…giant spider with a gun.

TEYA ( _Nodding_ ) It’s in the hall. Dead.

HIROI ( _Emotionally crushed_ ) I want to say goodbye to Ari.

TEYA ( _Outraged_ ) Dammit, Hiroi!

BURNHAM ( _More temperate_ ) I don’t think that’s a good idea.

HIROI ( _To Teya_ ) Can you patch into the vault through the electrical system? Like you did before?

TEYA ( _Shaking her head_ ) I don’t want to give the virus any ideas.

_Hiroi starts to look around, moving behind desks and pressing controls on the consoles._

HIROI ( _Single-mindedly_ ) There must be a surveillance system. There always is with a vault.

_He freezes, staring at a console display sadly. Burnham and Teya move to either side of Hiroi to see._

_Insert shot: On the console, we see Ari standing in the dim vault, looking downward and tearful._

_Hiroi presses a “talk” button on the console._

HIROI Ari….

_Insert shot: Ari, on the console display, raising her eyes slightly. She can hear them but not see._

ARI ( _Meekly, over comm_ ) Hiroi….

_Burnham and Teya exchange looks, not sure what to make of this._

ARI ( _Sadly, over comm_ ) I defeated the virus. Getting rebooted helped.

TEYA ( _To Hiroi_ ) There is no way to know if that’s true. We can’t know.

BURNHAM ( _To Hiroi_ ) We can’t let her out.

ARI ( _Over comm_ ) They’re right. Even I can’t be sure. It’s not worth the risk. I don’t want to hurt you, Hideki. I never want to hurt you.

HIROI ( _Overcome, to Teya and Burnham_ ) Ari has saved my life more times than I can count. ( _To Burnham_ ) What kind of man am I if I *can* save her, but I don’t?

_Hiroi thinks for a second, then grabs his left wrist, activating his communicator._

HIROI ( _To ship_ ) Captain Hiroi to the Leo. Beam up Commander Michael Burnham and Commander Teya, then travel at least ten light seconds’ distance from the planet named Atarashi Kuni.

_Before Burnham and Teya can react, they are beamed away. Hiroi walks to the sealed vault and copies in the passcode (sixteen digits) from the piece of paper he took from Teya. The panel beeps happily and he pulls the heavy door to one side._

_Ari is standing in the circular opening, looking frail and contrite. She walks slowly from the vault, stops just in front of Hiroi and looks at him, her eyes huge and brimming with tears. He hugs her very tightly. She lets him._

_Wide shot: we see them hugging from across the silent room. It looks as if he will never let her go._

_FADE_

_# TAG_

_INTERIOR. THE MESS HALL ON THE LEO._

_Burnham is sitting, drinking coffee from a mug and reading from a holographic display that hovers above the mess hall table._

_The door opens and Teya enters, giving Burnham a mischievous look. She sits opposite Burnham, who moves her text display aside with a gesture._

TEYA Would you like to hear some gossip?

BURNHAM Sure.

TEYA ( _Sotto voce_ ) I saw Hiroi kissing Ari. Full on the mouth.

BURNHAM ( _Amused_ ) What are you, like five years old?

TEYA ( _Not understanding_ ) I’m two hundred and six.

BURNHAM ( _To self_ ) Emphasis on the six.

TEYA ( _Happy to be gossiping_ ) Don’t you think that’s kind of “icky.” I mean, she’s a digital avatar.

BURNHAM It *is* icky…for *her*. I think she needs to raise her standards. On the other hand, Hideki Hiroi probably has the most room for improvement of all of us.

_The ship-wide comm signal sounds._

ARI ( _Over comm_ ) I just thought I’d let you know that, in the Mess Hall, I can hear what you’re saying.

_Teya looks embarrassed to be exposed._

BURNHAM ( _Smiling_ ) Hi, Ari.

ARI ( _Over comm_ ) Will you two both come to the bridge, please.

BURNHAM On our way.

_INTERIOR. THE BRIDGE OF THE LEO._

_Hiroi and Ari are focused on Ari’s usual bridge station display. The bridge door slides open and Teya and Burnham enter._

HIROI ( _To Burnham_ ) We have a surprise for you, Michael.

BURNHAM And it’s not even my birthday.

_Burnham and Teya join Hiroi and Ari, gazing at the panel._

BURNHAM A signal?

ARI It’s from the sensor drone we placed in the nebula near the Regent’s planet. It’s picked up the arrival of a vessel.

_Insert shot: the panel shows grainy video of a vessel passing near the sensor. We can see the silhouette of a starship set against the bright clouds of the nebula. It is unmistakably familiar._

ARI The U.S.S. Discovery.

_Burnham, Ari, Hiroi, and Teya all watch the display. The camera pulls in until we see a close up Michael Burnham, radiating joy and hope._

_END_


End file.
